George Romney (1734-1802)

George Romney (1734-1802)

Portrait of a lady, possibly Lady Jane Lawley (1743-1816), wearing a crimson dress and white fichu, with a landscape beyond, in a painted oval

Oil on canvas

76.7 x 63.5cm; 30¼ x 25in

Provenance:

The Collection of Mrs M. W. Sylvester, The Grange, Trowbridge;

Christie's, London, 14 December 1934, lot 130 (as Romney);

Private Collection, Yorkshire, until purchased by the present owner

Literature:

Possibly, T. Humphrey Ward and W. Roberts, Romney: a biographical and critical essay, with a catalogue raisonné of his works (London, 1904), Vol. II, p.92;

Possibly, A. Kidson, George Romney: A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings (New Haven and London, 2015), p.354, no.777 (as destroyed)

A label to the reverse, which appears to postdate the 1934 sale, reads Madame de Laurley. The painting is possibly one of the pictures left out in the open air by Romney at Hampstead, some of which were destroyed. Stylistically the painting dates from the 1780s, and Lady Jane Lawley sat for Romney in 1783.

We are grateful to Alex Kidson for his assistance cataloguing the present work. It will be included in the next addenda of his catalogue raisonné of Romney's paintings.